Misunderstandings and Misdeeds
by twisted.cucumber
Summary: Victoire and Teddy aren't talking, and now that break is fast approaching, Vic REALLY doesn't want to see him. Teddy's confused; James, for once, tries to be helpful; and Harry, well Harry would rather not know why... Complete
1. Of So Called Private Convos

**Yay another story! I'm still on break, so I'm on a roll right now. As of right now, this is gonna be a three part thing, but that might change...  
Teensy bit of language (well only if you're English...) **

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It was just days before the start of midterms and the Hogwarts library was bustling with activity, filled with students frantically struggling to cram in some last minute studying.

Victoire Weasley blew away some stray strawberry blonde strands away from her eyes, irritated. She was standing in what was required to be the quietest room in the castle but she still couldn't get away from that distracting noise!

She had long ago abandoned the idea of studying in the common room. Her mates had spent a good chunk of the day harping about Victoire's sullen attitude. Once she blew up at them, crying that she was fine, they then became busy giggling about their new-found boyfriends, without a care about their upcoming exams. Upon hearing the topic du jour, she had hastily grabbed her things, and after making a flimsy excuse, promptly ran out to seek refuge in the library.

In the far corner of the library, near the Restricted section, she spotted a familiar mop of red hair, belonging to one half of her mischievous duo of cousins, James Potter. Massive tomes surrounded her cousin, who was more likely to found in detention than in the company of books. The boy in question was currently staring hopelessly with wide eyes at a rather thick set of notes Victoire highly doubted belonged to him.

"Well, well, well," Victoire drawled loudly, strolling towards his table." Since when do you know where the library is?"

Heads instantly snapped up at her sudden loud voice in the stillness of the library. Madame Pince, despite her hobbling and old age, spun around to yell at the person who dared to disturb her library. When she saw it was Victoire, her face softened. Victoire's appointment as Head Girl had virtually granted her immunity from Pince's uncontrollable temper.

James looked at her in relief. "You've no idea how glad I am to see you right now, " the thirteen-year old cheered, shoving the large stack of papers into a book. "This whole studying thing is _such_ a pain. I don't understand how you Ravenclaws do it all the time," he complained, shuddering in disgust.

Victoire stifled a grin. The boy may have been a menace for all authority figures, but he was definitely good at lifting her spirits.

"Actually, " James continued," It's a good thing I found you. I have to tell you something," he gestured to the empty chair across from his. Victoire sat down rather apprehensively. James thrived off messing with people's minds. Look at his relationship with his siblings: he literally tormented poor Al for years, saying he was going to be the first Potter in Slytherin.

Once Victoire looked a little more settled, James started up once more. "Look, before the holidays start, I figure I should probably apologize."

Victoire sighed. "What did you do now? I swear if I find out you were the one that set off those fireworks in Slughorn's office-"

"No, not about that," James interjected hurriedly. He smirked slightly. "They were brilliant though weren't they?"

"James!"

"Right. Ignore that."

Victoire just narrowed her eyes at his. "What do you want?"

"Just thought I should say sorry, " James muttered. "For y'know, telling everyone about you and Teddy." Seeing Victoire's impassive face, he plowed on. "I swear I didn't do it on purpose. It was more out of shock y'know? That probably wasn't the way you wanted everyone to find out about-"

Victoire raised her hand, effectively cutting James' convoluted apology off. "It's fine. Really," she added, seeing James's disbelieving look.

"Y'mean that's it?" James questioned doubtfully. "No groveling or Bat Bogey?"

Victoire cracked a smile. "Nah, you're safe. Not that it even matters anymore," Victoire muttered under her breath, obviously not intending James to hear. James' sharp hearing however caught her last remark.

"Huh?" he asked, looking up from his things.

"Oh nothing," Victoire said, smiling weakly. "Just saying that you telling everyone really doesn't make sense anymore."

"Well why not?" James asked, puzzled. "You're still going out with Teddy so me telling everyone, _by accident_, just means that you don't have to tell 'em."

"James, Teddy and I aren't exactly going out."

"B-but you have to be!" James insisted. "I saw you two that two that day and I dunno about you but that kind of snogging screams relationship."

"Well sorry to disappoint James," Victoire bit out, " we haven't actually talked since September."

"Whaddaya mean you haven't talked to him?" James exclaimed. "You snogged the boy _three months ago _and it still hasn't come up yet it your letters?"

"Well honestly, I don't think we're even mates anymore," Victoire said bitterly. At James' questioning look, she elaborated, "Technically he did send me a letter. He told me all about Andromeda's lovely garden, and his new internship. He even told me about how much fun he had babysitting Lily."

James raised his eyebrow. "That sounds normal. Why do you look so angry about that?" he added apprehensively, noting her reddening face.

"Because that's just it!" Victoire hissed, throwing her hands in the air. "_It was_ _exactly like every other letter he'd ever sent me!_ He didn't even mention anything about the kiss. Nothing. Nada, Zippo. Zilch. If the bloody tosser wants nothing to do with me, then fine! He can take seventeen years of friendship and just shove it up his-"

"Ah," James uttered awkwardly. Angry girls (that wasn't his mother. Or Lily. Or Rose) _really _wasn't his territory. "Cheer up Vic. It'll be fine."

Definitely happier after her second outburst of the day, Victoire smiled. "Thanks James. You're a pretty good listener considering you're normally such a brat. No offense," she added.

"None taken, " James grinned toothily. He glanced at his watch and swore softly. "I have practice now and I'm dead if I'm late again. I'll see you at the Burrow then. Later."

Watching her cousin literally skip out of the library, Victoire thought, well that was definitely the oddest conversion I've ever had. She shrugged, waving it off. Maybe James was actually becoming a decent human being, she thought, going back to her baffling Charms text (which, to her great annoyance, _wasn't _getting any easier).

However Victoire would have been the first person to change her sentiments (meaning she'd happily throttle him) if she saw what James was up to at that moment. Standing right outside the library stood a grinning James Potter, who was happily relaying the conversion to his suspicious talking mirror.

***************

**Ooh I wonder who he's talking to...  
Teehee... okay so I know this is supposed to be a Teddy/Vic thing, but there _are _two more sections left... And I really like what James' character is turning out to be, so he'll probably show up in future fics...  
Make me smile :)**


	2. Of Confrontations and Confusion

**Here's part two. There are is a bit of Weasley-Potter dynamics shown. and to clear up any possible confusions, Freddie is George's son and James' other half (in terms of mischief-making) and Dom is Victoire's younger sister.  
**

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The Burrow glittered almost magically, from a kind of magic that couldn't be created with the wave of a wand. No, the magic came more from the relationships of the building's multitudes of occupants. It thrived off the heavenly cooking of its matron, the friendly Quidditch games near it in the summer, the light bickering between siblings, and above all, the love and friendship of the family and its friends.

Lily Potter, an unusually observant girl of nine, noticed this as she walked into the house. She noticed a lot of things really. She noticed the piece of parchment her oldest brother was holding when he immediately made a beeline for Freddie, furtively looking around to make sure a snooping Dom wouldn't see anything. She saw how tenderly and _not _bone- crushingly Grandma hugged Aunt Hermione. And like everyone else in the room, she saw Teddy and Victoire.

She had always thought her oldest cousin and almost- brother would make an absolutely lovely couple. She had been ecstatic when James had spilled the beans about them at the train station. But today it didn't seem like Teddy and Vic were going out. Or honestly even like they were friends. It looked like Vic was intent on outright avoiding Teddy. (Every time he entered the room, she left it. If that wasn't avoiding, Lily didn't know what was.) When she saw Grandma literally shove them out the door, like everyone else, she was apprehensive about sending them out alone. But unlike everyone else, she was sure it _wasn't _going to end in bloodshed.

Call her a romantic, but if she didn't hear wedding bells in their future, she was ready to clean James' smelly, messy, and outright disgusting, room for a month.

***************

"Dearies, why don't you go out and talk for a bit?" Molly suggested to the duo. "I'm sure you two would rather talk to each other then listen to us talk." She looked at the impassive faces of her oldest granddaughter and almost-grandson. Neither of them had yet to move.

"Go on then," Molly urged at them, making shooing motions at them to get out of the living room.

Victoire smiled sweetly at her. "Sure Grandma. Let's go Teddy," she called icily over her shoulder as she sauntered towards the door. Teddy looked pleadingly at Harry, who shrugged and gave him a sympathetic look. Seeing that Harry was going to be of no help, Teddy dragged himself off his chair and trudged after Victoire.

Bill glowered after the duo: he had heard James' outburst at Kings Cross in September and wasn't about to let his baby get mauled by some horny teenager. "If that boy even touches her-" he growled, but Fleur quickly interrupted. "'Toire and Teddy aren't talking," she hissed at her husband. Bill visibly calmed.

George looked interestedly at them. "Hmm any idea why?"

Angelina elbowed her husband. " Don't even think about it George Weasley." George looked innocently at his wife as if to say "who, me?"

Watching them leave, Harry worriedly asked, "Are you sure you want to send Teddy out alone with Vic?"

"Lighten up Harry," Ron said as he belching appreciatively at his mother's tart. "They'll be fine."

Harry looked disbelievingly at his oblivious best mate. "She was giving him death glares during dinner!"

Molly just waved her hand dismissively. "Oh don't worry Harry dear, I'm sure they'll sort it out. Now who wants pie?" she asked the last part to the room in general.

As Harry joined the large cluster of Weasleys and Potters vying for a slice of pie, he couldn't help but glance through the window at the distant shadows of his niece and godson.

***************

Victoire's teeth chattered at her sudden exposure to the cold. She watched Teddy lean against a tree in the snow-covered apple orchard, absentmindedly tracing the initials carved at the base of the tree.

This was possibly the maximum amount of contact she'd had with Teddy in over three months. Yay.

Desperately grasping for anything to break the strained silence between them she asked, "So. How's work?"

Teddy looked up, surprised that Victoire was even deigning to talk to him. "It's okay. It's just work y'know," he shrugged. "And Hogwarts? How's your seventh year going?"

"It's okay," Victoire shrugged indifferently, sneaking a glance at her watch. "It's school. There's homework. And teachers. And even the occasional detention. The usual."

"Sounds like the same old Hogwarts," Teddy proclaimed, attempting a weak smile. Victoire

A great humungous pause stretched between them. Victoire mentally banged her head against the tree. This was definitely not good. Teddy just _being_ here wasn't good for her mostly non-existent sanity. She had been convinced and sure of what she wanted to say to him when she saw him (Most of it revolved around her anger, and she figured she'd just go with the flow from there.) But now that she'd seen him, it's like all her anger just flew out the window. He was still the same: awkward and adorably rumpled, his hair his signature turquoise color, all in all, the same Teddy she had fallen for.

Well this is awkward," Victoire commented, looking down to glance at her watch.

"It really shouldn't be," Teddy declared. "We're best mates, and besides Christmas! We're supposed to be happy and just relaxing with family and friends."

Victoire just raised an eyebrow. "Christmas or not, this is still awkward Teddy."

"Vic don't you think we should talk-" Teddy started nervously but he was swiftly interrupted.

"There's nothing to talk about Teddy. Maman's probably looking for me. I should probably-" Victoire moved towards the dirt path back to the Burrow, but Teddy blocked her path, stepping directly in front of her. "Teddy, get out of my way." But he stood stock-still. "Please?" In a desperate move, she pushed against his chest but Teddy wouldn't let her leave.

"No. We're not going anywhere until we have a proper adult discussion about this!"

Huffing, Victoire plopped down on the snow-covered ground and crossed her arms stubbornly. "I think you've made yourself perfectly clear, honestly."

"Vic, you won't even look me straight in the eye anymore." Victoire carefully avoided his piercing gaze. "See, like that!" he cried pointing at her. "And you cannot honestly deny that you've been avoiding me all night."

"I haven't been avoiding you, Victoire sputtered indignantly. "I was just-"

"-Ducking every time you saw me enter a room."

"Fine," Victoire admitted angrily. "So I was avoiding you. I just figured that would be the easiest that way. For both of us."

"Easiest- Vic you're talking in riddles now,"Teddy huffed, confused. "What is going on?"

"After your last letter-"

"You mean the one you never replied to?" Teddy interjected.

Victoire just sighed. "Look I get it. I'm a big girl now: I can handle the truth. You don't want to have anything to do with me."

If anything, Teddy seemed even more adorably confused right then, with his hair rapidly changing colors as he ran his hand through it, aggravated. If they hadn't been fighting, Victoire would have _definitely_ jumped him right then and there. "Don't want- blimey Vic, what-"

"Look, I read the letter and," Victoire shrugged, "I'm okay with it."

"Okay with what??" Teddy looked ready to rip his hair out.

"Playing dumb doesn't suit you," Victoire looked at Teddy pityingly. "You wrote a whole letter, talking about everything from your new apartment to Andromeda's bloody gardenias! I mean, really Teddy?" Victoire looked at Teddy pleadingly for a moment. She shook her head and just shrugged again. "You didn't mention our kiss. At all. So I just figured that was just your way of-"

"Vic-" Teddy started, but Victoire just raised her hand.

"No! I don't want to hear any more of your half-arsed-" Victoire snapped.

But Teddy, in turn, just interrupted her. "No just hear me out, will you?" Victoire narrowed her eyes at the Metamorphmagus, but nodded on concession. Teddy took that as his signal to continue.

"Look I know you think I abandoned you and whatnot-" Seeing her start, Teddy elaborated. "Yes, James told me your freak-out in the library and what you said to him that day."

"Ha! So I was right!" Victoire crowed triumphantly, pointing at him accusingly. "You _did _know what I was talking about! And that bastard! I told him all that stuff in confidence! I should have known after he was being so nice!"

Teddy shrugged. "Well that's James for you. Hasn't got an ounce of morality but that makes him the perfect candidate to bribe." Victoire, too incensed to laugh at her cousin's misdeeds, just glared at teddy. Teddy hastily got back on track.

"Right, moving on. Anyway, we've been best mates for years now and it's been a pretty good relationship y'know? I valued it more most of my relationships with others. Excluding, of course Grams and the Potters'. So imagine my alarm when I realized that I, ah, _cared _for you as more than just a mate." Seeing her annoyed look at his last statement, he hurriedly added. "It's not that I didn't like you. No, that _definitely_ wasn't the problem," he shook his head ruefully. "I was afraid, y'know, I'd screw it up. And the risk of losing _this,_" he gestured forcefully at the space between them,_** "**_just wasn't worth it, " he ended, shrugging his shoulders self-consciously and shoving his hands into his pockets.

There was a palpable silence between the two as Teddy finished his confession of sorts. Victoire was just staring at him, completely gobsmacked at his revelation, her mouth wide open. "So lemme get this straight. You don't want to go out with me because you're afraid we'll stop becoming friends."

Teddy nodded, fearfully noting her slow and rather predatory steps toward him**. "**That and the chance that the kiss was a fluke. I didn't think that, y'know, you actually liked me like that."

Victoire stopped directly in front of Teddy. She was standing almost eye-to-eye with him. She gazed at him, as if contemplating what her next move should be. Teddy desperately hoped she wasn't going to murder him.

"Well you were definitely right about the not thinking part," Victoire finally muttered.

Teddy stared at Victoire, puzzled. "So what- mmphh!" He was abruptly (but rather pleasantly in his personal opinion) cut off from completing his sentence by Victoire's lips. He stood stock-still for a moment, afraid that he was imagining the whole scenario in his head. Victoire, who was getting annoyed by the whole one-sided kissing (maybe she misinterpreted his feelings?) was about to pull away when suddenly Teddy wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Victoire's eyes fluttered shut as she pressed herself closer to him. She was literally just floating in heaven. God, it seemed like he'd gotten even better, if that was possible. They stood, wrapped in that position, for what could have been _years_, but in reality, it had been only a minute.

Eventually the need for air won over their desire for each other. Pressing a soft, fleeting kiss on Teddy's lips, Victoire quietly asked, "Does that clear up any lingering doubts?"

"Definitely," Teddy murmured against her lips before kissing her all over again.

***************

**Yay, they're not fighting anymore!  
Sorry, no James this time...  
Make me smile :) **


	3. Of Even More Confusion and Conclusions

**It's been a while hasn't it? But I have auditions, labs, essays and a humongous chem midterm that's currently frying my brain...  
Btw, Lucy is one of Harry's many nieces, and Gabrielle is Fleur's younger sister.  
Enjoy :) **

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It was days like today that Harry Potter absolutely despised Ginny.

Damn her for seducing him into doing this! If he had it his way, he would be comfortably sitting in his warm living room with his wife and children. But no: instead, he was freezing his butt off outside a London apartment building, clutching leftover pie.

The doorman to the building held the door open for the bespectacled man, which Harry reluctantly walked through. Trudging his feet, Harry walked towards the elevator that would take him up to Teddy Lupin's apartment.

It wasn't that he didn't want to see Teddy: Harry loved his godson like one of his kids. It was just that he _really _didn't want to be having this particular conversation with him.

Yesterday, during the annual pre-Christmas Eve dinner at the Burrow, Teddy and Victoire had gone on a short walk to sort out their differences. Everyone, even Bill, had hoped the best friends would sort out their problems, but apparently that hadn't happened. Victoire had stormed in and demanded that her parents let her go home now. Teddy, who had followed her in, angrily looked on as the strawberry blonde Apparated away with her parents and siblings. Teddy ignored the inquiries of the confused family and muttered that everything was fine before he too hopped into the Floo and left.

Bill had Floo-ed the Potter house in the morning to ask Ginny for help. Victoire was adamantly refusing to leave her room, and was turning everyone away. Fleur had all but given up on her daughter's dramatics, and Bill was desperately turning to Ginny for any help. Ginny, remembering her own penchant for dramatics, assured Bill that Vic would be fine: she would come out when she was ready.

As a result, Ginny "suggested" ( i.e. she refused to participate in any, ah, _extracurricular_ activities with Harry) that Harry go see if Teddy was faring any better after the so-called break-up last night. Harry knew he was horrendous at the whole 'feeling' aspect: he had horrible experiences with girls when he was younger (honestly, it was a miracle Ginny ever even married him…). This conversation was not going to be pretty.

When the elevator stopped on the fourth floor, Harry, clutching the pie rather tightly- much to the bewilderment of the elevator's other occupants-, stepped off the elevator. As he walked down the long hallway, he heard music blasting in 4C, and watched as a pair of teenagers left 4F, holding hands. Stopping at end of the hall, Harry stood before the entrance of 4J, Teddy's apartment. In his best efforts to stall, Harry loitered in the hall and gazed out the nearby window at desperate last minute shoppers on the street below.

Eventually Harry knocked on the door. He heard a loud _thud _from inside the previously silent apartment (It was only about ten in the morning: that was was probably Teddy waking up.). And sure enough, Teddy stumbled into the hallway with messy hair that could rival Harry's and a rumpled shirt. Teddy raised one hand in greeting and shut the door with the other.

"Hey Harry." Yawning blearily, Teddy glanced down at his left wrist. "Isn't it a little early to leave for the Burrow?" (The Weasley-Potters invited almost everyone they knew for a Christmas Eve party at the Burrow every year, and as an honorary Potter, Teddy was invited.)

'Well yes," Harry said uncomfortably, "but that's not why I'm here." Seeing Teddy's gaze shift curiously to the package in his hand, Harry hastily shoved it into Teddy's hands. "Here. You didn't get to eat any pie yesterday so Ginny asked me to bring some down for you."

Teddy's lips curved into a smile, as he refrained from laughing at Harry's flustered behavior. "Okay... well thanks Harry," Teddy said, walking backwards to open his door to go inside again. " I guess I'll see you at the Burrow later then?"

"No wait!" Harry cried out. Teddy turned back to his godfather questioningly. "The pie wasn't the only reason I came down here," Harry muttered, deflated. "I wanted to see how you were doing, y'know, after what happened last night," Harry finished hesitantly.

Teddy's face, one minute amused, turned impassive. "I'm fine."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Really. It was just a little… spat," Teddy slowly walked backwards through the door. "Thanks for coming down to see if I was alright and whatnot." When Harry refrained from randomly bursting out again, Teddy opened the door. "So if that's it, I'm gonna go in. I'd invite you but it's really messy inside."

Harry smiled kindly at the metamorphmagus. "It's fine I'll see you tonight." Harry turned to leave but as Teddy slipped through the door, Harry's Auror-trained eyes spotted something inside that made his grin turn upside down.

Lying on the chair by the door was a violet colored jacket.

The color wasn't what disconcerted Harry- Teddy had inherited his mother's sense of style so vividly colored articles of clothing failed to shock him. But Harry could have just sworn he had seen it somewhere...

Suddenly a series of images popped into his head. Brightly wrapped presents, James and Al throwing torn-up wrapping paper into the air, Lucy showing off her new bag, a distinctively French voice bragging, "Oh Gabrielle had it especially made with our lovely Victoire in mind..."

Victoire! The coat belonged to his eldest niece!

Wait... if the coat was here, then that meant that instead of being holed up in her room, like Bill was convinced she was, Victoire was in Teddy's apartment. Alone. With a boy she had publicly fought with just the night before.

Harry scrunched his forehead in confusion and furiously rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things again. Nope: the coat was still there, its bright color mocking him to say something. "Teddy," he called out wearily.

Teddy, who was just about to fully close the door behind him, pulled the door wide open again to stick his head into the hallway. In response to Teddy Harry simply pointed past his godson. Teddy's gaze followed Harry's finger curiously: when the finger and the eyes came in contact with the jacket, Teddy's face paled and his hair immediately became a violent purple (a color was was generally associated with whenever Teddy was feeling particularly guilty: Harry had seen it many times during Teddy's childhood, normally after a loud _crash_).

"Uh," Teddy stammered. " I can explain…"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?" he asked, leaning against the wall opposite Teddy's door. "Go ahead. I'd love to hear about how an expensive jacket made by specifically for a certain Head Girl ended up in your apartment!" hissed Harry, his voice getting progressively louder with every word.

Teddy blushed a brilliant red as he carefully examined his shoes to avoid Harry's irate glare. Hearing Harry begin to impatiently tap his foot, Teddy looked up.

Pacing in front of Teddy, Harry ran his hand through his hair, frustrated by the situation. "I take it her parents don't know she's here?" Harry finally asked.

Teddy gave Harry a Look. " Are you mad? Of course not: they still think we're fighting.

"And why is that?" Harry asked curiously. " Last I heard you two couldn't stand being in the same room as each other."

Teddy grinned sheepishly. " Huh. Well, after the James fiasco in September, we figured keeping the whole we're-seeing-each-other thing under wraps was the way to go. So we staged a "fight" last night."

"So you two aren't fighting?" Harry asked again, just for clarification.

Teddy shook his head. "No. We're actually getting along swimmingly."

"I can see that," Harry said dryly, nodding towards the jacket and the heels Harry was sure didn't belong to Teddy. Teddy blushed an even deeper red. "I know this looks bad but-," Teddy began.

"You think?" Harry muttered sarcastically. "Teddy this isn't good. Victoire may be of age but she's still in school and maintaining a relationship gets really hard. Trust me I know," Harry added. Turning to face Teddy, Harry groaned as another thought came to him. "Oh. And I completely forgot about the Weasleys'. They'll probably murder you once they realize you're sleeping with her-"

"N-no, hold on a minute!" Teddy yelped, raising his hands as if surrendering. "Don't jump to conclusions just yet1 Just because Vic's here doesn't mean that we slept together!"

Seeing Harry's disbelieving face, Teddy stepped out from the doorway and beckoned Harry to come inside. A wary Harry allowed himself to be ushered through an untidy bachelor's pad towards the partially closed door that led into the bedroom. Peeking in, Harry was happy to see that lying on the bed (fully clothed thank God) was a peacefully slumbering Victoire Weasley.

"She just needed a place to crash," Teddy whispered softly. "Her family was a bit nagging about our fake-fight last night, and she got a little annoyed."

Harry turned to see Teddy tenderly gazing at Victoire with a soft smile on his face: Harry had seen the same look many a time on Ron's face when he looked at Hermione, on Neville when he saw Hannah, and he was sure he had the same look in his eyes when he looked at Ginny.

"You really like her," Harry stated.

Teddy turned to face Harry. "Nah," he mused, with a slight smile on his face. "I think I love her."

The two men stood in silence for a moment until suddenly Victoire stirred, breaking the stillness in the room.

Hair mussed and clothes rumpled, Victoire stretched out on the bed and yawned, cherishing the feeling of the soft bedsheets against her skin. Last night had been, well, _odd _to say the least. On the bright side she had made up with Teddy, even though her entire family thought she hated his guts. Her plan had seemed brilliant when she thought it up: it was a fool-proof way of keeping nosy buggers like James out of their business, but everyone was getting on her nerves with the concerned faces and pitiful looks (hence the reason she snuck out in the middle of the night to see Teddy). And no, she hadn't gone there to shag him or any of that nonsense: she just wanted to get away. And to top it all off, in the mess last night she hadn't even gotten any pie.

Seeing stars under her closed eyelids, Victoire grimaced at the annoying pounding in her head. Ugh, she didn't even want to think how late she had slept in. Hopefully her parents had given up pounding on her door and hadn't noticed that she had left. Victoire stumbled out of bed… right onto into the floor. Victoire swore under her breath and opening her eyes, she stood up only to be met with two arms reaching out towards her. She looked up to be met with two concerned men, both ready to pull her up.

Ignoring both hands, she hefted herself off the ground, steadied herself, and then grinned cheerfully. "I'm fine."

Ignoring the younger of the two, she smiled fully at the other. "Uncle Harry!" she beamed, throwing her arms around him. "What are you doing here?"

Harry pulled himself away from her embrace and simply raised an eyebrow at his niece. "Well, _I _came to talk to Teddy, but imagine my surprise when I found you'd beat me to it," Harry commented lightly.

Looking guiltily around at the room and her disheveled appearance, Victoire stammered, "Uh I can explain-"

Harry just waved his hands dismissively. "Teddy already explained your, ah, _situation_."

Victoire mock-wiped her head in relief. Phew. That's one mess avoided. Now onto the question of everyone else...

"Ah and Uncle Harry?" At Harry's absentminded nod, she uncomfortably continued. " Could you, y'know, _not _tell Dad, or even anyone else, about this?"

"About what?" Harry asked innocently. " I just came by to give Teddy some pie and so we could talk for a bit. During my visit, I didn't notice anything odd, and I don't plan on noticing anything because nothing odd is going to happen until _after _I leave."

Teddy and Victoire both grinned at Harry, thankful that Harry was being rather nonchalant about this. Teddy had a feeling that Harry had experience sneaking around the Weasley brothers when he was dating Ginny...

Clapping Teddy on the back and kissing Victoire on the forehead, Harry let himself out of the apartment. As he waited for the elevator to come up, Harry heard a voice call out behind him. Harry turned around to see Teddy and Victoire sticking their heads out of the doorway. "Tell James thanks from us," Teddy said, gesturing to him and Victoire.

"Yeah," Victoire added mischievously. "Tell him we couldn't have done it without him." Teddy and Victoire collapsed into a fit of giggles, leaning on each other as they guffawed hysterically over a joke they only knew.

Harry bemusedly stepped into the elevator, contemplating their hysterics. They just told him to thank _James_: his eldest son was a prankster who thrived off messing with people and was nothing short of a menace for society. As much as Harry dearly loved James, Harry had a good reason to doubt that his eldest had done something, dare he say, _good. _

A niggling voice in the back of his head told Harry that he probably _didn't_ want to know what was going on. Anything involving James was best when left alone for now: it was the holidays and personally, he'd rather not spend it yelling.

So Harry whistled cheerfully as he stepped onto the bustling streets. It was Christmas Eve, and all he wanted to think about was the delicious dinner Molly had planned for the family tonight…

**I figured that even in a family as big as the Weasleys, the family was really close (that doesn't mean that they _all_ like each other...)  
Wheeee! So that was the last (planned) chapter… For my next thing, I was thinking of doing one-shot story thing about the next-gen kids (it'll probably revolve around James: I really like his character…). Lemme know what you think…  
Make me smile :)**


End file.
